FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate conventional protector structures for an electric power feeding apparatus (see the patent literature PTL 1).
As shown in FIG. 12, the conventional electric power feeding apparatus 61 is a wiring-harness-extendable/retractable-type apparatus that includes: a protector 62 made of synthetic resin, which includes a circular body portion 65 and an elongated guiding cylinder 66 extending upward; a drum 63 rotatably provided inside of the protector; a spiral spring 64 that energizes the drum 63 in a direction of rotation; and, as a foreign matter escape structure, a hole 70 provided at a base of the guiding cylinder 66 of the protector 62 and a secondary hole 71 provided at the lowest portion of the body portion, so that foreign matters such as a grit and a dust entering the guiding cylinder via an opening at a upper end thereof escape from the protector 62 to an outside via the holes 70, 71.
The body portion 65 and the guiding cylinder 66 are provided in one piece with each other. The guiding cylinder 66 extends with a rectangular cross section. The guiding cylinder 66 protrudes upward from an upper portion of the body portion 65 and curves to trace an arc with a large radius.
As shown in FIG. 13, the drum 63 and the spiral spring 64 are accommodated in the body portion 65. The drum 63 is rotatably supported by a shaft 67. The wiring harness 68 is wound in around a periphery of the drum 63. As shown in FIG. 12, one portion 68a of the wiring harness 68 is pulled out via the guiding cylinder 66 to the outside.
As shown in FIG. 13, the other portion 68b of the wiring harness 68 is wound around a periphery of the drum 63 as an extra length of the wiring harness to be accommodated in the body portion. The harness portion 68c continuing to the extra length 68b of the wiring harness is pulled out of the body portion 65 to the outside to be connected to a power source (battery). The extra length of the wiring harness 68b absorbs the rotation of the drum 63.
The protector 62 includes a protector base 62a and a protector cover 62b. The wiring harness 68 is accommodated in the protector base 62a with the protector cover 62b detached therefrom, and then retained by the protector base 62a with the protector cover 62b attached thereto. The wiring harness 68 includes a plurality of electrical wires each having an insulating sheath. The electrical wires (68) may be coarsely bound with a tape or softly covered by a protective tube.
A connector 69 is provided at an end of the wiring harness 68. The connector 69 is fixed for example to a movable structure such as a sun roof and a deck lid (not shown) adapted to accommodating a roof of the automobile, the movable body being power-supplied by the feeding apparatus. The connector of the wiring harness of the feeding apparatus is connected to a connector of a mating wiring harness (not shown) of the movable structure.
For example, as indicated by a solid line in FIG. 12, the wiring harness 68 is pulled out of the protector 62 upward to elongatedly extend as the roof is opened. At this point, the drum 63 is rotating against a force of the spring 64, so that the wiring harness 68 is released from the drum 63. When the roof is closed, as indicated by a chained line in FIG. 12, the wiring harness 68 is rewound into the protector acted upon by the force of the spring 64 to be bent in a direction orthogonal to the opening 66a of the protector.
Since the opening 66a provided at the end of the guiding cylinder 66 is oriented upward, a foreign matter such as a dust easily enters the guiding cylinder via the opening 66a as the roof is opened. The intruding foreign matter escape from the cylinder to the outside via the hole 70 provided at the base of the guiding cylinder 66. The foreign matter that missed the hole 70 is allowed to escape from the body to the outside via the hole 71 provided at the bottom of the body portion 65.
As an example of an opening-closing mechanism of a retractable roof for a conventional automobile (not shown) is disclosed in the patent literature PTL 2. The roof opening-closing mechanism includes: a pair of (i.e., front and rear) rotative linkages rotatably linked to a body of an automobile; an upper-middle stationary linkage linked to the front rotative linkage, a front-upper stationary linkage linked to the rear rotative linkage; and a folding top linked to the front-upper stationary linkage. When the roof is folded (opened state), rotative linkages tilt substantially horizontally, and stationary linkages are folded above the rotative linkages, so that the roof is retracted in a rear luggage space of the automobile body.
Citation List
Patent Literature
    PTL 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-112444 (FIGS. 1 to 4)    PTL 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-108674 (FIGS. 1 to 5)